Many spinal fixation systems are found in the prior art for fixing connecting rods and the like to pedicle screws. Some systems have a disadvantage in that the rod must be bent after coupling to the pedicle screw because of anatomical considerations. Some systems attempt to solve this problem with different kinds of connectors that secure the rod to a polyaxial pedicle screw head and permit spatial adjustments before locking the rod in place. It is imperative to lock the connecting rod with respect to the pedicle screw (or any other kind of bone anchoring element) in order to prevent loosening of the spinal fixation system that could have undesirable consequences to the patient. Nevertheless, no design is free of problems and there is still a need for a connector that is “user-friendly” and permits adjustments before locking the rod in place.